Il 13 luglio la Terra è stata sfiorata da un asteroide di circa 30 metri, circa il doppio della meteora esplosa nel 2013 nei cieli di Chelyabinsk, in Russia.
L'asteroide denominato 2023 NT1 è arrivato "controluce", ossia dalla parte del Sole, ed è passato ad appena 100'000 km, meno di un terzo della distanza della Luna, senza che potesse essere visto in anticipo dagli attuali sistemi di rilevamento.
"Un evento - ha detto Richard Moissl, capo dell'ufficio di difesa planetaria dell'Agenzia spaziale europea (ESA) - che ricorda molto quello avvenuto il 15 febbraio 2013 a Chelyabinsk con un oggetto di circa 15 metri di diametro che anche quella volta veniva dalla direzione del Sole, dunque invisibile, che ha prodotto grandissimi danni. 2023 NT1 era circa il doppio".
2023 NT1 è stato scoperto solo dopo il passaggio ravvicinato ma il lancio, attorno al 2030, del nuovo cacciatore di asteroidi europeo Neomir permetterà di identificare anche questa tipologia di oggetti pericolosi in arrivo controluce.
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